The use of medical catheters and probes has become an effective method for treating many types of diseases. In general, a suitable catheter or tubular probe is inserted into a body lumen of the patient (vascular or non-vascular) and navigated through the body lumen into a desired target site. Using this method, virtually any target site in the patient's body may be accessed. In certain treatments, it is desirable to secure the catheter or probe in some manner so that proper positioning and placement is maintained during the treatment, while the patency the catheter or probe lumen is also maintained, such as in some urinary incontinence treatments.
Urinary incontinence is one of the most prevalent conditions of the lower urinary tract, particularly, stress urinary incontinence (hereinafter SUI) which affect a significant amount of people. SUI is the loss of small amounts of urine associated with movements, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, and exercise that cause increased pressure on the bladder based on increased intra-abdominal pressure. Some SUI treatments include the delivery of energy to and/or through the urethral wall by precisely placing an elongated probe having an energy delivery element within the urinary tract. These probes usually have an anchoring member, such as an inflatable balloon, at a distal portion of the probe that sits in a patient's bladder, and a locking device at the proximal portion of the probe that is placed against the patient's external urethral orifice, urinary meatus and/or adjacent tissue, thereby securing the probe and the energy delivery member in a desirable position within the urethra. During these treatments, minimizing movement of the probe relative to the desired treatment site in the urethra and/or paraurethral region, as well as, maintaining patency of the probe lumen, is desirable.
In the past, various devices have been used for securing the positioning of a catheter or probe relative to a treatment site, such as locking collars, seals, claps, and compression sleeves. While these types of locking devices may secure the positioning and placement of a catheter or probe in combination with anchoring members, they also cause localized cramping, pinching, compression or deformation of the catheter or probe tubular body, radially narrowing or even occluding the lumen of the catheter or probe. Additionally, once these locking devices are engaged or locked in place on or over a catheter or probe, disengaging or unlocking the device for repositioning requires transmission of an undesirable amount axial translation force, radial force and/or friction to the catheter or probe, usually displacing the catheter or probe relative to a treatment site. Further, some of these devices have cumbersome locking mechanism, often requiring the use of both hands of a physician or user to unlock and reposition the device.
Therefore, there is an ongoing need to provide for more suitable adjustable locking devices that minimize friction, axial translation or radial forces to the catheter or probe during advancement and placement, as well as, during unlocking and repositioning of the device, which requires only one hand of a user to fully operate the locking mechanism.